ORION MAGAZINE: Orion’s Summer 2026 issue, The Deep Dive, explores humanity’s enduring relationship with cetaceans. From the violence of the whaling industry to the nuances of whale song, contributors trace our evolving entanglement with the world’s largest mammals—how we have been a threat to them in the past, our intertwined struggles in the present, and what we might do to ensure their continued survival. Rich with wonder and delight, the issue asks not only how we have shaped whales’ existence, but how they have indelibly left their mark on ours. This issue is also slightly longer than a standard issue of Orion—an invitation to dive into summer reading. Inside:
Kate Green celebrates the astronomical achievements of Edmond Halley, who calculated the orbits of some 24 comets
Weeding out the wildflowers
John Lewis-Stempel explores Ralph Waldo Emerson’s view of a weed as ‘a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered’
The great escape
When wandering Ouessant ram Max goes walkabout, it makes for a testing shearing day for John Lewis-Stempel
On red alert
History suggests that Bordeaux is best in years ending in a five — and 2025 is promising to maintain the sequence, says Harry Eyres
Country Life International
Jack Watkins treads in the foot-steps of Lord Byron in Ravenna, Corinne Julius is seduced by ceramics in Puglia, Holly Kirkwood seeks out the best properties for sale, Anna Tyzack finds artistic inspiration in Mallorca and Russell Higham charts the story of the Scarlatti dynasty in Naples
Portraits of a lady
Obsessively painting her own image helped Frida Kahlo confront the pain that blighted her life, reveals Jessica Lack
Peter Layton’s favourite painting
The artist has his head in the clouds of a van Gogh classic
Country-house treasure
John Goodall takes a shine to an exceptional example of Italian craftsmanship at Highclere Castle in Hampshire
Wedded to the landscape
Kathryn Ferry commends the labour of love that Clough and Amabel Williams-Ellis created at Plas Brondanw in Gwynedd
Shepherd’s delight
Skies streaked with crimson hues are a spectacular sight for Deborah Nicholls-Lee
Winging it
Mark Cocker profiles the white-tailed eagle, the apex predator of the Unloved Birds’ Club
Luxury
Amie Elizabeth White eyes Egyptian jewels and Sir Quentin Blake clothing, plus a few of Corin Mellor’s favourite things
Interiors
Arabella Youens admires a restful bedroom transformation and Giles Kime celebrates the graceful ageing of verdigris
Seasons to be cheerful
Caroline Donald applauds the invention and imagination at play in the glorious gardens of Broadwoodside, East Lothian
Travel
Jo Rodgers unearths sheltered combes and steep coastlines as she heads far from the madding crowds in south Devon
Arts & antiques
Carla Passino meets Scotland’s first warriors as a new exhibition explores the long, bloody history of conflict north of the Border
Chipmakers led the way down in South Korea, where the main index plunged 10 percent. Stocks in Europe were lower and S&P 500 futures pointed to a sharp fall.
After Iran weaponized the waterway by making it too dangerous for businesses, experts say, the country is now looking to charge fees to vessels seeking to transit the vital water.
President Trump said Iran had agreed to the “highest level” inspections, hours after an Iranian official said there were “no detailed discussions on the nuclear issue.”
Secretary General Mark Rutte is headed to Washington. His style has at times frustrated the very European leaders who need him to hold the alliance together.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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